


Amortentia

by iulia_linnea



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-09
Updated: 2012-11-09
Packaged: 2017-11-18 07:18:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/558323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iulia_linnea/pseuds/iulia_linnea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ginny made her choice long before it was taken away from her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Amortentia

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maelwaedd](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=maelwaedd).



> Written on 9 July 2006 in response to [maelwaedd](http://maelwaedd.livejournal.com/profile)'s prompt of _Severus/Ginny: Will it still be the same? brace, and won't_

"Will it still be the same?" Ginny asked, turning from the rail and looking up into Severus' eyes as he appeared on the balcony.

Severus caught his breath and almost dropped the goblet he was holding. "You know it won't be, Ginevra," he replied, shaking off the affect of seeing the witch in a diaphanous gown that left just enough to the imagination.

Ginny turned away. "Then I don't want to do it, Sev."

"I hate it when you call me that," Severus told Ginny, joining her at the railing and passing the goblet to her.

"Then don't call me 'Ginevra'," she retorted, before raising the goblet to her lips.

Severus watched her throat working and smiled.

When Ginny made to set the goblet down on the railing, she missed, and the vessel plunged over the side.

"Oh! Sorry."

"It's no matter, but you shouldn't stall. You know you have no choice. You have to—"

"There's always death. Lord Voldemort did say I could choose that," Ginny interrupted, her voice light and teasing.

Severus grabbed Ginny and turned her to face him, shaking her a little. "Never say that!"

"And here I thought I'd never have to brace myself against your visits again. You promised not to—"

"Forgive me," Severus said quickly, releasing Ginny's shoulders. "I never meant to hit—you know that I was over-wrought. You refused your medicine, and I couldn't permit you to do that."

"Yes, so you've said," Ginny replied, her eyes uncharacteristically hard. "And you know that I love you, so why must I—"

"Gine—Ginny," Severus entreated, caressing the side of her face, "you do love me, don't you? You do want to marry me?"

Ginny swallowed and lowered her eyes. "You know that I do, Severus."

"Then you must take the Mark."

"But if I do that, I will never be entirely yours. Why can't we marry first? If I could just have you once, as your wife, just once, then I would be happy to take it."

Severus sighed. _The potion needs a compulsion component. If I don't add it, Ginevra's willfulness will get her killed_. "The Dark Lord demands loyalty from his followers—and their wives. Even Bellatrix didn't marry before she took the Mark."

Ginny snorted. "That slut took more than Voldemort's Mark, for all the good it did her."

"Don't say that again. Don't even think it," Severus begged, leaning down to kiss Ginny.

She turned away. "You should go, Severus. We're not yet married, and if you'd prefer to . . . to do things properly, loyally, then I'd just as soon wait as not."

 _Damn it_! Severus thought, clenching his fists. _You've no right to refuse me_! _You shouldn't be able to refuse me_! "Ginny," he said, forcing himself to be calm, "look at me."

She obeyed him.

"Tonight you must make your choice. If I'm that choice, then—"

"But I have chosen you," Ginny interrupted, turning so that her body pressed against Severus' as she looked up into his eyes, her own full of tears. "I have chosen you—but you want to share me."

"I," Severus began to say, stopping when Ginny laid her head against his chest in defeat. "I'll tell them—him—that you're indisposed, and then . . . and then I'll see what I might do."

"Might do about what?"

"Might do about seeing us married before your Marking. Would that please you?"

Ginny's head flew up suddenly, her eyes dry and filled with love. "Oh, Severus! Oh, Severus, thank you!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling herself up on tiptoe to kiss him.

It was heady, being their first; Severus' head swam.

"Yes, yes," he murmured, pushing Ginny away and raising a hand to wipe his lips

"No! No, Severus. I want that kiss to come from me, as well. Leave the lip gloss, please?"

"You're very sweet, Ginevra."

Ginny looked down, blushing. "I just want you to be proud of me."

Severus smiled. _So loyal already. So willing to serve—but to serve me first, best_ , he thought, swelling with pride. "Of course I will, darling," he promised, sweeping from the room before he could forget himself.

When Ginny was certain that Severus had gone, she raised the hem of her gown and furiously scrubbed at her mouth until an unwelcome voice said, "Hey, don't hurt yourself."

"I just want it off me, Harry."

"The poison can't hurt you. You're immune to it, now, just like Snape is."

"I didn't mean the poison."

"Oh, right—the Amortentia—you didn't drink that much, did you?"

"Just enough so that all he could see was . . . was my love for him in my mind. That's all," Ginny replied, sniffing, before she sunk to the floor and began to cry in earnest.

"It'll wear off, you know. I promise," Harry told her, "just like this spell will."

 _The spell that made you seem no better than a ghost_ , Ginny thought, covering her eyes with her hands and rocking herself. "I'm sorry. I'm just . . . tired."

"Me, too. But soon we can stop pretending. Soon, we'll have our lives back. My poison will work, Ginny. You'll see."

"I know it will, Harry. I do." _I just don't want it to_ , she thought, wishing that she had not had to drink quite so much of Severus' love potion. _Because I do love him now—better than I ever loved you_ , she thought, allowing a lying smile to rise in her eyes as she looked at Harry.


End file.
